Bengals 0 at Jets 37
Rex Ryan’s top-ranked defence shut down the Cincinnati Bengals, and rookie Mark Sanchez efficiently led a clock-eating offence as the New York Jets clinched their first playoff berth in three seasons with a 37-0 victory at a frigid Meadowlands on Sunday night.
Needing a win to keep their season alive, the Jets (9-7) set up a rematch against the Bengals (10-6) in the first round of the playoffs Saturday at Cincinnati.
It was the Jets’ first shutout at home since beating Pittsburgh 6-0 on Dec. 14, 2003.
Sanchez was 8-for-16 for 63 yards with no turnovers before being replaced by Kellen Clemens late in the fourth quarter with the game in hand. Thomas Jones ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns and do-it-all Brad Smith had 92 yards rushing, including a 32-yard TD run, as the Jets set a record for rushing yards in a season.
Eagles 0 at Cowboys 24
Tony Romo threw a pair of early touchdown passes and the defence took over from there, sending Dallas to a 24-0 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday and setting up a rematch at their new palace next weekend.
Ravens 21 at Raiders 13
Willis McGahee ran for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns and the Ravens clinched an AFC wild-card berth.
Titans 17 at Seahawks 13
Chris Johnson became the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, then scored the go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard run with 4:33 remaining.
Chiefs 44 at Broncos 24
Jamaal Charles ran for a Chiefs-record 259 yards on 25 carries and linebacker Derrick Johnson returned two Kyle Orton interceptions for touchdowns in Kansas City’s first victory in nine tries at Invesco Field.
Patriots 27 at Texans 34
Rookie Arian Foster scored two touchdowns, Bernard Pollard recovered a fumble for a touchdown and had a key interception as the Texans (9-7) finished with a winning record for the first time in team history.
Steelers 30 at Dolphins 24
A swarming Steelers defence sent two Dolphins quarterbacks to the sideline, including Pat White with a scary head injury, but the reigning Super Bowl champions were eliminated from the playoff chase.
Giants 7 at Vikings 44
Brett Favre passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover in less than three quarters against the barely there Giants (8-8).
Colts 7 at Bills 30
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdown passes for Buffalo (6-10), including a 41-yarder to Terrell Owens, in near whiteout conditions. Fred Jackson had 212 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career.
Packers 33 at Cardinals 7
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, playing mostly against the Arizona reserves, shredded the Cardinals in three quarters, completing 21-of-26 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown.
Saints 10 at Panthers 23
Jonathan Stewart rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, and the Panthers (8-8) won their third straight.
Redskins 20 at Chargers 23
Billy Volek threw a two-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Tolbert with 35 seconds left to rally the playoff-bound Chargers to their 11th straight victory.
Jaguars 17 at Browns 23
Jerome Harrison rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Cribbs ran for a TD, giving Cleveland its first four-game winning streak since 1994. That pushed coach Eric Mangini into an uncertain off-season with momentum to fight for his job.
Buccaneers 10 at Falcons 20
Matt Ryan threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Falcons finish with consecutive winning records for the first time in franchise history.
49ers 28 at Rams 6
Vernon Davis tied the NFL record for touchdown receptions for a tight end with his 13th of the season, helping the 49ers finish strong and the lowly Rams clinch the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Frank Gore added 107 yards rushing on 23 carries and two late TDs for the 49ers (8-8), who pulled away after a bad first half in which they mustered only 52 yards.
Bears 37 at Lions 23
Jay Cutler matched a career high for a second straight week with four touchdown passes.
Detroit (2-14) was bad again after becoming the NFL’s first team to finish 0-16 last season.